Wedding Dress
by A Teen With A Dream
Summary: He couldn't watch her get married to another man, not after everything they've been through.
1. Chapter 1

_**I don't own bleach or any of the characters, just this crazy thought up plot. **_

_**Please enjoy. **_

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_Invitation _

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Ichigo heard a heavy knock at his apartment door, forcing him up from his dream, his dream if _her _again. He scratched the back of his messy orange locks as he lazily got out of bed almost sleep walking to the door. "Coming." He mumbled angrily, mentally cursing the person knocking at his door so early in the morning.

Without looking through the peephole he unlocked the knob and pulled open the heavy door.

"GOOD MORNING ICHIGO!" An older man latched onto Ichigo forcing his stubbly chin across the boy's face. "It's not the same without you around!" He shouted with no worries of waking the neighbors.

"Get the hell off me old man!" Ichigo pressed his hands to the man's face, trying to pyre his body off of his. Finally able to push him back Ichigo looked down to see his two sister's Yuzu and Karin carrying bags and containers of food.

Yuzu smiled holding out a container "We wanted to have breakfast with you onii-chan~!" She sang.

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Ichigo let his sister's work their magic in his kitchen as he proceeded with his morning routine's in the bathroom. He let his tooth brush hang out his mouth loosely as he stared at himself in the mirror.

He dreamed of her last night, the smell of her hair in the wind, her plump lips curving up into a smile, her eyes sparkling like diamonds. He didn't understand why he was having these dreams. Was it his conscious telling him he needed to see her? It had been over a year. Would she still remember him?

Of course not, not when she has mister rich and perfect at her side.

He was everything Ichigo wasn't. The son of a wealthy business man, a graduate from collage, older, and he knew what his future held. He would be able to take care of her, give her everything she needed. But what could Ichigo do for her? Rescue her from hollows, and half the time he didn't even do that right.

He spit into the sink, rinsed his tooth brush then dropping it into a glass cup. Staring at himself in the mirror, his hair had gotten long again, _she liked it like that_. "Damnit!" He slammed his fist on the sink He needed to forget about her, she obviously had forgotten about him, no calls no emails no anything, just memories.

A knock was herd at the door. He figured it was Yuzi, telling him breakfast was ready. "I'm coming..." He opened the door only to see his father. He didn't have his signature bubbly expression he normally wore, he looked serious. Ichigo didn't know what to say to his father, so he just stood there waiting for him to speak.

"I wanted to talk to you privately about this." He pulled a tiny peach colored envelope from his jacket pocket. "Yuzu and Karin don't know about this yet." He handed it to Ichigo, watching him study the small envelope oddly. "I guess she doesn't know you live on your own now, since she sent it to the house."

Ichigo flipped it over and saw his name written in fancy characters on the front. He opened it, it was a laminated cared with a picture of _her _and _him _holding each other, smiling. His eye's widened as he flipped over the card.

_**Kurosaki Ichigo, **_

_**You have been invited to the wedding of **_

_**Inoue Orihime and Tanaka Taichi**_

Ichigo's eyes ran across the words over and over again. Was this really happening? From what he remembered they've only been dating five months, or was it longer then that? He hadn't seen her in a while. She was only nineteen, she hadn't even finished collage yet. Is this what she wanted?

"When she sent my invitation she also sent a letter," Isshin knew his son was in shock but he had to break the silence. "She wants Yuzi and Karin to be her flower girl's." He paused. "and she wants me to give her away at the alter." There was another long silence. "Ichigo?"

His father knocked him out of his trance. "Yeah?" He looked up at Isshin with a stoic expression.

"Are you going to go?" He simply asked.

Ichigo looked down at the card once more, checking the date. March 16th, a week from today. Would he go? Why would he go? His family would be in the wedding, should he go because of them? "I'm working Saturday." He lied.

Isshin tilted his head. "You have Saturdays off."

"Well they want me to work next week." He quickly replied. "and collage exams are coming up, so I need to study." Why was he making up excuses? He was always up front with his father.

Isshin could see right through his son. "Alright." He said as he turned to walk away. "Yuzu and Karin finished making breakfast." He said over his shoulder walking down the small hall.

"Okay." Ichigo spoke but didn't move, he just stood there looking down at her picture. She looked happy with him. She never smiled like that when he was around her, he figured she must have been better off.

"Inoue..." He whispered her name.

Memories over took his mind, all the way back to the time he watched her cry over her dead brother and the time he held her hand then thrown her over his shoulder in Hueco Mundo. Growing up the two had been through a lot together, loosing someone they both loved, fighting hollows, but that was all in the past; they were practically adults now... getting married, she was a grownup now.

"Orihime..." He whispered again this time in anger, balling up the invitation in his well tightened fist. He stepped back into the bathroom and tossed it in the trash. He had no use for it since he wouldn't be going.

_'Since when did we grow so far apart?' _

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"Inoue-sama." The young women looked up at Orihime, watching her gray eyes stair out the window. "Inoue-sama." She spoke again this time a bit louder.

Orihime flinched at her name being called then looked down at the maid. "Y-yes.?"

The young maid smiled up at the girl. "You look beautiful in your wedding dress." She started. "I need you to turn so I can finishing the hem on the other side of your gown." She said warmly.

Orihime nodded slowly and did what she was told. "Y-ya know, you can call me Inoue, with out the sama." She said softly.

The maid continued to work on the bottom of the dress. "But you're part of the family now, if I don't Tanaka-sama will get angry with me."

Orihime almost didn't know what else to say. "I'm not part of the family yet, so." She paused. "so until then please, just call me Inoue."

The woman looked up at Orihime and nodded. "Alright, Inoue." She continued to work on the bottom of the dress. "I could see you were daydreaming." She smiled. "What were you thinking about."

Orihime gazed out the window, watching two birds -male and female- flying around together, they looked to be playing. "Of a friend. " She simply replied while trying to stay still.

"Oh that's nice. Will she be attending your wedding?" She asked hoping to start a conversation with the soon to be bride.

Orihime was silent for a moment. "I sent him and his family an invitation but I don't think he'll be coming."

The maid arched her brow once Orihime announced that it was a male she was thinking of. "Why wouldn't he come, you're friends aren't you?" She wondering if maybe they were more then friends. If so she surly would report it to Tanaka.

"A-ano, yes, I think." She twirled a strand of hair around her finger. "But we haven't seen each other in over a year..."

"Well why worry about one friend when you have other friends coming." The maid figured she'd change the subject. "And besides, you'll be married to Tanaka-sama. With him who else would you need?" She tilted her head with a smile.

Orihime looked down at her. "I guess you're right." She continued to gaze out the window. The two birds she was watching were now sitting on a branch.

Soon after, the female bird stood up and flew away, but the male bird didn't go after her. He just sat there, watching her fly further and further away.

_'Kurosaki-kun...' _


	2. Chapter 2

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_Reminisce_

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The week had gone by so very slow for the Kurosaki. Between college, hollows, and work he was looking forward to his much needed Saturday off, but then again a part of him didn't want the day to come any closer.

An image of Orihime's smiling face overtook his mind. _"Good morning Kurosaki-kun~!"_ She would say to him every day in a chipper tone... but those days were long gone.

He opened his apartment door, shutting it behind him, dropped his school bag to the floor then plopping right onto his couch. Nothing felt better on a Friday afternoon then his cozy hammy down couch.

His head dropped back, chocolate colored orbs looking up at the ceiling, thinking of her.

What would she look like tomorrow? Beautiful of course.

What did her fiance even look like? Ichigo didn't even remember. All he knew was he didn't like the guy, he was snooty and more than a few years older than Inoue.

But he was able to give her everything she needed, no matter now snooty or old he was. Beside, they were both in love, right?

"Aug!" Ichigo laid his body down forcing a couch pillow over his head.

He didn't want to dream of her, he didn't want to think of her, he didn't want to see her face randomly flash in his mind but he couldn't help it, his body had a mind of it's own when it came to Orihime.

What exactly where his feeling for her? He didn't even know if they were still considered friends, they haven't really been on the talkative side lately.

He had school and work, she had a fiance. He felt as if he was completely knocked out of her life. Did he even mean anything thing to her in the first place?

Ichigo tossed over on the couch

There were a lot of things the young Kurosaki didn't know, but one thing he did know; he didn't want to see his childhood friend get married tomorrow.

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Ichigo felt his phone vibrate in his back pocket, practicably yanking him from his slumber. "Damn it" He mumbled as he pulling out the ringing mobile, bring it to his ear. "Hello." He mumbled in a horse tone.

"You're not coming, are you?" An angry female voice yelled into the phone.

Ichigo sat himself up. "Tatsuki?" He scratched the back of his head along with a yawn.

"Yes it's me you Idiot!."

Ichigo scowled.

"Your father just told me you aren't coming today. Why the hell not!" She shouted even louder.

_Saturday had come already..._

Ichigo slid his hand down his face, still holding a tired expression. He never liked the idea of lying, especially to Tatsuki. She always had the ability to spot anything untrue. "I have to work." He figured he'd give it a try.

"No you don't!" She had gotten even louder, if that was even possible.

Ichigo stood up giving his body a good stretch, trying to knock out the kinks from sleeping on the couch crookedly, he didn't say a thing.

"How do you think it's going to make Orihime feel when she sees you're not at her wedding!"

There it goes again, that '_wedding'_ word. "I have to work Tatsuki." He lied again, hoping maybe this time she would believe him.

Tatsuki was silent for a moment. "You know she doesn't have family..." Her tone was low and sincere. "We're all she has, so if you don't want to support her then..." Tatsuki grew silent.

Tatsuki was right, Orihime didn't have a real family. Ever since her older brother died she was practically all alone. She raised her self and did everything on her own. He could at least show up at the wedding to support her.

"Ichigo?" Tatsuki muttered.

But he didn't want to see her get married.

"I can't," His fist balled up, gripping onto his jeans "I have to work." He replied quickly than slapped his phone shut.

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Tatsuki herd the annoying ringing of a dial tone. "Ichigo?" She glanced down at her phone and saw that he ended the call. "Idiot." She spat silently as she slid her mobile shut.

"He's not coming is he?" A small voice asked from behind.

Tatsuki spun around, her slim blue bride's maid dress moved with her body. "Orihime." She saw that she was in her bath robe, stepping out of the bathroom, hair glistening with clear water droplets from the shower she just took. She didn't know how to tell her dear friend. "No," She exhaled a heavy breath. "He's not coming." She spoke as softly as she could.

Her giant gray orbs shifted to a shade of depressing emotion. "I see..." Her voice gave out. She could feel her eyes start to water.

"Orihime." Tatsuki rushed over to her friend. "It's obvious that you're not over Ichigo." She ran her thumb under the bottom of Orihime's eye, wiping the tears away. "and rushing into a marriage with Tanaka wont make things any better." She explained to the bride.

Orihime tried to hold back her tears. "Yes it will."

Tatsuki looked deep into Orihime's gray orbs. "How?"

She swallowed the heavy feeling that grew in her throat. "Marrying Taichi will force me to forget Kurosaki-kun. It will help me move on."

Tatsuki shook her head. "No Orihime. Marrying Tanaka just to get over Ichigo isn't the right thing to do. Tanaka really loves you, it wouldn't be fair to him."

"But I love Taichi..." She trailed off. "I just love Kurosaki-kun more." She almost whispered. It was the first second time she spoke aloud her love for the Kurosaki. The first time was when she said her good byes to him before she left for Hueco Mundo, that night she almost kissed him.

"But still Orihime, this isn't right."

A small knock was herd at the hotel room door, it opened and a female's head peeped in. "I'm sorry to bother you but, it's time to do Inoue-sama's hair and make up." The young woman spoke.

Orihime simply nodded,"Alright." She then turned back to her best friend "It's for the best Tatsukie-chan." She shot her friend the best fake smile she could muster then left the room, leaving Tatsuki alone.

Tatsuki looked down at her phone. It was 8:45, almost four hours until Orihime was to be wed. She glanced out the window looking up at the clear blue sky. "This isn't right, Ichigo..."

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_**Thank you **_**FireCat and SnowWhit**_**e for being the first to review this story, I hope this chapter was to you're liking! ^_^**_

_**A big thanks to the rest of you who reviewed, I love reading people's feed back. Your comments make me smile :3 **_

_**Also, sorry for any grammar or spelling mistakes I have no one to look this over for me. **_


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